The Cruel Justification
Vanessa’s composure faltered under his glare, but she quickly tried to recover. “Richard, you don’t understand. She spilled her glass again. She’s careless. She needs discipline—”
“Discipline?” Richard snapped, cutting her off. His voice shook with fury. “You call humiliating a child discipline? You call this love?”
The jug slipped from Vanessa’s fingers, clattering to the floor.
“You’ve been gone for weeks,” she shot back, her voice rising. “You don’t know what it’s like to manage this house alone. She tests me every day—”
But Richard’s roar silenced her. “Don’t you dare blame her for your cruelty.”
